If all goes well, the outdoor ice rink at the Penticton Lakeside Resort should be ready for use this weekend.
“They started the beginning of last week. So long as the weather behaves, we should be up and running for the Canada 150 Skate,” said Brannigan Mosses, spokesperson for the resort. “So long as we hit freezing temperatures, the coolers under the ice rink should behave.”
The Canada 150 skate is a a nationwide event on Dec. 10, with every city with an ice rink being invited to participate.
“It’s just to go out of 2017, one last time celebrating that Canada turned 150 this year,” said Mosses. “We just encourage everyone to come down from 3 to 5 p.m.”
There will be warm drinks and food available for sale, but Mosses said the resort is planning to give away beavertails, or some other treat, in celebration of Canada 150.
The location of the rink has changed a little, shifting from the beach to the grass. The view is still spectacular, though, possibly the best of any ice rink in Canada.
“It is a really beautiful view of Okanagan Lake,” said Mosses. “We live in a beautiful place. The fact that we can put it right there and really see the mountains and Okanagan Lake is pretty great.“
The Lakeside Resort has offered the outdoor rink for a few years now, and Mosses said it was in response to community desire for an outdoor ice rink.
It’s a 30x50 feet, so it’s not as large as Kelowna’s, but it still gives locals an opportunity to come down and really live the Canadian lifestyle by hitting the ice,” said Mosses, adding that hockey teams visiting for games and tournaments also enjoy being able to get out on the ice for some shinny.
The Canada Skate 150 is just one of the resort’s December calendar of events, which started last weekend with their Yuletide celebration.
“This was the first year with that,” said Mosses, adding that they were nervous about bad weather. “It was great to have the choir down here, and to have Santa visit.”
The event was successful enough that it’s already in their plans for next year, and they are hoping to make it bigger and better.
“We’re hoping to again coincide it with the Downtown Penticton Santa parade. It just makes both of them all that much more it makes both events that much bigger and more exciting.”